THE ROLE OF THE LEARNING STYLES IN BLENDED LEARNING

Traditional lecture-based teaching favours certain learning styles. Generally, in teaching arranged in this way, some students will be deprived of teaching reflecting their own learning style. However, by taking advantage of technologies available, it is possible to organize modern education in a way that pays attention to learners' individual tastes and necessities. This study investigates whether it is possible to adequately meet the necessities of different students with the help of teaching based on video and in accordance with the blended model.

Master's degree education in information technology at Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius is organized as blended teaching that is supported by solutions of educational technology. The base for the educational arrangements is formed by videos produced in face-to-face teaching situations and with the use of the Learning Management System in a variety of ways. The students can participate in all teaching of the degree programme with the help of face-to-face teaching or by simultaneously with the help of real-time video. In addition, when it is convenient to do so, the students can participate with the help of recordings made of face-to-face teaching situations. Thus the students can choose not only their own schedule but also the ways of study participation that best suit to their own study habits.

For several years already, learning style mapping has been carried out for the students of the master's degree education in information technology. The idea behind the learning style mapping is to provide the student with a clearer picture of one's own way to learn. On the other hand, the information collected gives the provider of education some guidelines for the development of education.

There are plenty of models that address students’ strengths and preferences in processing information in learning situations. We chose to use the Felder-Silverman model because it is the most widely used among engineering students and has parallels in other learning style models like the Kolb’s model and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. In addition, the learning style preferences of the model are easy to assess with the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire.

The research examines students' learning style distributions based on the collected learning style results. The research data includes, in addition to active students, also students who have completed their studies and students whose studies in practice have become interrupted. By making comparisons among these student groups, the aim is to find out whether it would be possible to foresee advancement in studies based on learning style preferences or if the representatives of a certain learning style are in a weaker or stronger position in a multi-faceted education programme like the one described. The research also examines possible differences in this respect between the genders and whether these should be taken into account in the development of education.

Also the variety in the ways of participation allows the student of the master’s education programme to time the study in accordance with his/her own personal schedule. In our earlier research, it was found that students who study in accordance with course schedules performed differently from those who study at their own pace. This research aims to find out whether a learning style affects the study schedule chosen by the student.